Even if you only have half an hour to make a meal, it's really easy with this handy cookbook. Follow the author's basic principles: everything in place before you begin, foods in small pieces for faster cooking, and when possible, ingredients that are packaged for convenience. The author takes care to make her recipes — as well as her instructions — short and simple. But the finished dishes taste like they took all day.Author Sandra Rudloff — as well as being a busy parent who needs to cook dinner quickly — is a chef, recipe developer, and author of several cookbooks, including Soups and Stewsand The Dessert Fondue Cookbook.